Use of soluble CEACAM8 for diagnosing, treating or monitoring diseases, and a method for screening compounds that prevent apoptosis

Abstract

The invention relates to new uses of soluble CEACAM6 or CEACAM8, or substances that are specific to soluble CEACAM8. Another object of the invention concerns the use of CEACAM1-specific and/or CEACAM6-specific compounds for apoptosis prevention in-vitro. The invention also relates to a method for screening compounds, which prevent apoptosis and a method for preventing apoptosis in human granulocytes.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Method for B- or T-cell expansion, comprising the step of contacting B- or T-cells with full-length soluble CEACAM8 or a DNA encoding said full-length soluble CEACAM8, in an effective amount resulting in B- or T-cell expansion. 
     
     
       2. Method of  claim 1 , wherein said full-length soluble CEACAM8, or said DNA encoding said full-length soluble CEACAM8, is contacted with B- or T-cells in combination with other compounds. 
     
     
       3. Method of  claim 1 , wherein the B- or T-cell expansion takes place in vitro, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing B- or T-cells; 
 b) bringing said B- or T-cells in contact with an efficient amount of said full-length soluble CEACAM8, or with said DNA encoding said full-length soluble CEACAM8; and 
 c) culturing the B- or T-cells. 
 
     
     
       4. Method for the diagnosis, monitoring or therapeutic treatment of a condition of a patient in need of immune stimulation comprising administering to the patient full-length soluble CEACAM8 or a DNA encoding said full-length soluble CEACAM8, in an effective amount resulting in B- or T-cell expansion, the condition chosen from the following:
 (a) adoptive immunotherapy; 
 (b) immunodeficiency as a result of chronic or acute infection and/or chemo- or radiation therapy; 
 (c) human autoimmune diseases, aberrance of the immune response, 
 (d) human gout, cancer and/or infection diseases. 
 
     
     
       5. Method according to  claim 4 , wherein cancer patients are diagnosed or monitored by labeling neoangiogenetic blood vessels close to tumors by full-length soluble CEACAM8. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition is chosen from (a). 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition is chosen from (b). 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition is chosen from (c). 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition is chosen from (d). 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition is human gout and/or infection diseases. 
     
     
       11. Method for prevention of apoptosis in human granulocytes comprising contacting the granulocytes with full-length soluble CEACAM8. 
     
     
       12. Method according to  claim 11 , adapted for prevention of apoptosis in vitro, wherein the full-length soluble CEACAM8 is human and fused to Fc (full-length soluble human CEACAM8-Fc). 
     
     
       13. Method according to  claim 11  for preventing apoptosis in human granulocytes, further comprising incubating a human sample comprising granulocytes with full-length soluble CEACAM8. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the full-length soluble CEACAM8 is human and fused to Fc (soluble human CEACAM8-Fc). 
     
     
       15. A method for the therapeutic treatment of a patient requiring immune stimulation comprising administering to the patient full-length soluble CEACAM8 or DNA encoding soluble CEACAM8, in an effective amount resulting in B- or T-cell expansion. 
     
     
       16. A method for the therapeutic treatment of a patient suffering from low B- or T-cell numbers comprising the steps of:
 a) providing B- or T-cells from said patient or from a subject compatible with said patient; 
 b) bringing said B- or T-cells in contact with full-length soluble CEACAM8, or with a DNA encoding full-length soluble CEACAM8, in an effective amount resulting in expansion of said cells to expanded B- or T-cells, and 
 c) transferring said expanded B- or T-cells to the patient suffering from low B- or T-cell numbers.